Life
by kakomaan
Summary: We can discover this meaning in life in three different ways: 1 by doing a deed; 2 by experiencing a value; and 3 by suffering." Victor Frankl
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Tin Man. They are property of people other than me. I should come out and say that this story is already completely written. I haven't settled on a posting scheduel yet, so any recommendations would be nice.

May last request is for you to enjoy the story.

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_Life_

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"This will be the hardest two cycles you will ever go through. Just because you are here does not mean you will make it to the Royal Guard. If you are so fortunate enough to make it through, you will have the privilege to be called one of the Royal Guard. Here you will learn how to defend yourself, your people and your country. You will learn how to shoot, and how to survive being shot at. You will learn how to survive in the wild, and how to properly disarm and armed combatant. Do not piss me off. Do not piss off my fellow soldier. You will do as you are told within the allotted time given. Do not expect any mercy. If you cannot take anything that I have just described, leave now. Save us all the misery of suffering for your faults.

"If you leave this place, you will no longer be so-and-so, or this-and-that. You will be soldiers in the finest military ever to grace this land. Now get out of my sight!"

_Lieutenant Derek Scott- Royal Guard Training Instructor. Spoken to the incoming recruits as they began their two cycle basic training program. _

The soft tendrils of sleep slowly lifted, allowing a soft light to come across her eyes. Easing herself up, she looked around, before wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. She sighed, both with weariness and sadness, but quickly shook the feeling off and stood. As she continued, she took in the room around her. Sparse, yet looking like it was lived in, only a few items resided in the room. A cabinet that looked as if it was thrown together in a few minutes was across from the bed, while a desk and a small table, both with burn marks, were pushed against the wall and residing in between the bed, respectively. She navigated her way around the table and made her way to the door, letting her hand glide along the charred table and desk as she went. Stopping just before the door, she considered that this new life, this life where it seemed like she was merely an actor in a poorly written movie, could be a life that she could live to the very end. As she reached for the door and heard and felt the loud concussion of a bomb exploding, she considered the fact that that life may come to an end quite quickly.

Jerking the door opened, she moved with a swift efficiency, weaving between yelling men and barking dogs, heading towards the center of the camp. As she walked past the hodge-podge of buildings and tents, another explosion rocked the earth as a man came rushing towards her. As soon as the sound died, he began to talk.

"Aleksi! They are close but not quite here yet!"

"Dermot! How many times have I told you its Alex!" Dermot paused and tilted his head to the side.

"Never, you just got here. Anyway," cutting Alex off before she could rebut. "We need you on the western end of the camp. We're hoping that they're going to come only from the east, but we can never be to sure. You're going to be reporting to Lieutenant Scott. He's a good man, he'll show you the ropes." Alex nodded, taking in all the necessary information. "Sorry about dropping you right into the action, but that's life after the eclipse. We're going to need more fighters by the end of this one, but the Queen won't budge." Dermot shrugged. "I guess the only thing left to do is pray. Double-time it over to the healer's camp. The Lieutenant should be there." Alex nodded and split off of Dermot as he continued down the main row and she cut through the tents and the buildings. She slowed down as she approached the healer's tent and grimaced when she heard yelling.

"I don't care how long it takes you! I want that trench dug now or else I'll use your dead bodies to dig the trench myself!" Alex recognized the Lieutenant's voice, recalling her time as a cadet before he was called off to war.

"Lieutenant. Green Aleksi Hildebrandt reporting as ordered." She didn't salute, remembering that it made the officers targets. The Lieutenant swiveled on his heels and nodded.

"I remember you. Cadet Aleksi Hildebrandt. Class 25 of the Royal Army recruiting division. So nice to see you graduated." He turned away from her and she relaxed moving to help her fellow soldiers digging the trench. "No." She stopped and turned.

"Yes sir?" He waved his hand towards himself and spoke.

"I have something else for you to do." He turned away. "Avon! Moeller! You're with me." Two men rose out of the trenches and followed after the Lieutenant and Alex. As they briskly walked down the rows, Alex took the time to study the area around her, taking note of the small aisles and the dips and groves of the land and its inhabitants.

"Here." They all came to a stop in front of the commissary. "I need you three to make sure that, if push comes to shove, no one passes this line." The other two stiffened, almost imperceptibly, in pride at what they thought was a compliment. Alex, however, saw it as it was; a means to get the most inexperienced and unreliable soldiers off of what could be the front line. If the Lieutenant noticed her pinched glare, he said nothing, merely nodding his head once and walked back to the trench.

As the other two stood ramrod straight, eyes darting around the camp for the slightest movement, Alex was looking around the camp for another reason. She what she wanted, she moved to the stool and picked it up, before plopping it, and herself on top of it, slightly to the side of the entrance. She looked up at the two before rolling her eyes and resting her chin on her hand.

"You do realize that the Lieutenant put us here because he thinks we suck as soldiers." Said more as a comment and not a question, the other two looked at her with blank stares. Looking up at the two, she realized that the Lieutenant had probably made the wise choice with those two and waved her free hand in a circle around her head. "Forget it." Slowly, her eyes started to glaze over as she took in the surrounding area with a distinct lack of interest. After the completed the journey, the wandered again, slowly coming to a rest on the healer's tent. Glancing once more at the two dunderheads, she placed her hand into her uniform and pulled out a small, hard piece of bread. Placing it in the side of her mouth, she gave the healer's tent another glance when she heard the sound of rustling canvas, and, seeing nothing, returned to her semi attentive state.

"You!" She nearly fell off her stool in surprise when a loud voice echoed through the small clearing. Looking around, she stood up quickly when she saw the Commander of the base striding towards her. Quickly swallowing her bread, she stood at attention. She could feel the other two men behind her as they shifted slightly. "I need a soldier on the front line. I don't care if they're green." He stopped in front of the three and ran an appraising eye over them. Alex, once she had determined that he wasn't going to ream her a new one for sitting on a stool, had slightly relaxed her posture, confident that she was not going to be picked for frontline duty.

The Commander, meanwhile, was coming to the realization that these two men where here for a reason. The female, however, looked to be a promising soldier. He moved in font of her and spoke.

"What's your name?"

"Green Aleksi Hildebrandt, sir." He nodded once.

"You are now assigned to Captain Fisher. Fisher!" Another man came forward. "Take her and put her with your squad." The Captain hesitated.

"Sir…" The Commander cut him off.

"I realize that you only take those who have been invited into your squad, but I think that she will make it with you just fine." The Captain nodded, after which the Commander walked away. Looking over at her, the Captain glanced at her before walking away, clearing expecting her to follow.

Which she did.

"Ok here's the deal. You do what I say. Nothing less. If you see something that we don't, call it out. If a guy is giving you grief, give it back. If you have a problem, solve it yourself. If you need your mommy to hold you hand while you go to sleep, go home. I'm not your mommy; I'm not your daddy." Alex cut in.

"Well that's good. It would be just awkward if you were my mommy and daddy. Besides which, mine're both dead." The Captain glanced over at her before nodding.

"I think you'll do ok with us."


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: _I've decided to post every other day.

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_Donovan Interlude 1_

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This new girl fancies herself to be unintelligent, but I can see past those large brown eyes of hers and see the intelligence that lurks beneath the surface. She's only been with us for a few hours, but she's already fitting in with all the guys. About 5 foot 6 inches, she's got brown eyes and dark brown hair (what little of it that poked out underneath her Guard issue hat) set on a mousy face, a skinny lass, but muscular underneath the typical Royal Guard uniform. Makes me think about how she looked before the Training Instructor got her; she'd probably been underfed and overworked, judging by the gaunt look in her eyes. She's seen hard times, just like the rest of us.

The Captain is uncomfortable with the new addition, even though he had mentioned earlier in the month that he was going to take someone on. I decided to go talk to him before he wore out the ground in front of his tent.

"Sir." He looked up at me and raised an eyebrow; his typical response to questions that he doesn't really want to answer or intrusions into what he saw as his own personal time.

"What is it Donovan?"

"What's with the new girl?" He stopped pacing to fully face me, both eyebrows into his hairline now.

"You don't like her?"

"I like her plenty fine sir. It seems that you don't like her all that much." He shook his head in the negative, making me wonder why he was so uptight about the addition. "No, sir?" He looked over at Alex with the other guys around her, each one sizing her up in their own ways.

"No. It's not that I don't like her. It's more of the fact that she was ordered into my service." I rocked on my heels.

"I thought you got to pick who came into the squad, sir, not someone else. It's how we prevent people being placed on the squad who aren't up to the task." He continued to look at her as he spoke to me.

"I think that she'll do just fine with us. It's how the Commander chose to put her on my squad. It was a cross between flippancy and actual thought; as if he knew that she was going to be there and led us to her, yet decided at the last minute to put her on the squad." I looked at the Captain out of the corner of my eye, realizing why he was so uncomfortable with her.

"You don't actually know what to think of her, and that unsettles you, sir." He looked at me with surprise in his eyes but blandness on his face.

"Hopefully, things will settle; with the country and with the squad. Ozma help us if anything else comes up." I clapped him on the shoulder as I started to walk away.

"And make you lose your composure?" I let out a laugh. "As if that will ever happen!"

"You better hope it doesn't happen!" He called after me. "Then we'll be really screwed!" I was still chuckling as I came back level with the rest of the squad. Goddard was leaning against the wall of the trench he was in, content to pick at the dirt underneath his nails with his knife as the others talked with Alex. Seth Tal, the second in command to the Captain, was looking out over the trees as he asked Alex,

"You ever seen any action?" Alex shrugged.

"Who hasn't seen action these last annuals?"

"Doesn't really answer the question now does it?" Gabriel Malcolm spoke before Tal could continue. Alex looked at Malcolm, and I swear the gaze she leveled at him could'a peeled paint. But as soon as it was there, it was gone, further enforcing my thought that she was an extremely intelligent, if not well mannered young lady. Of course, my basing her intelligence of her ability to glare probably wasn't the most intelligent thing to do.

"Yes, I've seen action." She directed the answer to Tal, but I could tell she meant for all the men to hear it. Malcolm sat back on his haunches, satisfied with the answer. Nathaniel Embry asked a question that could only have come from him.

"Did your farm breed any horses?" The poor man was actually excited about her answer.

"Our farm personally did not, but I helped with a neighboring farm, and they breed horses." Embry couldn't contain his joy at having another person to talk horses with, but Goddard spoke up without looking up from his nails.

"Down, boy." I contained a chuckle behind a closed fist and a cough, while Embry glared across the trench. Peter Yared tossed a rock into the air and it landed with a thump on my head. Turning, I glared at him, but he ignored me in favor of asking Alex a question.

"Have you been educated?"

"Some." She scratched the back of her head. "Just what I learned from my ma and pa before they died." The Captain levered himself into the trench beside me and spoke,

"Are we in a war zone or not? Just because we're not seeing any action doesn't mean we can lax off." And with that, everyone turned to face the trees, and even though I'm no mind reader, I can tell that the guys were accepting the new face.

I'm hesitant to say that things are looking up, but with the arrival of Alex in the squad, we may have what it takes to beat the 1st Squad in that stupid competition that's coming up.


	3. Chapter 3

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_Life_

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Five hours later, the sun was down and so was the threat. It turned out that the explosions were not coming from renegade longcoats, but from a couple of teenagers who thought it would be fun to explode some grenades near a military camp. The scouts who had reported the longcoats were given kitchen patrol for the next few lunar cycles, as punishment for overreacting to the explosions.

Alex was hesitant to say that she was confident about her new position with the Fish Squad, which she had learned was the nickname given to the squad by the ranking nonofficer, but she was sure that unless she made an incredibly stupid mistake, she was going to have a pretty sweet assignment.

Sitting around the fire with her new squad mates, she listened to them share stories from their previous escapades in the resistance. The raucous laughter was cut short by the arrival of Lieutenant Scott.

"Green Hildebrandt. I believe that my last assignment was to post you at the entrance to the chow tent." She stood as she responded.

"Yes Sir."

"Then why are you here, and not there?" She heard the rustling of cloth on cloth behind her as another soldier stood up.

"She's under my command now, _Lieutenant_." She resisted the urge to flinch at the contempt in her new commanding officer's voice.

"Under whose authority, _Sir_?" The sounds of shifting reached her ears once more as Captain Fisher's men bristled at the insubordination.

"Mine." Everyone in the camp stiffened at the arrival of the base commander.

"Lieutenant, she'll stay with Captain Fisher." The Lieutenant visibly stiffened.

"Yes Sir." The Commander looked at him and nodded.

"Return to your squad Lieutenant. I think it wise to think through why she was removed from your command. Understood?"

"Yes Sir." Nodding once more, the Commander turned and left. It wasn't until Lieutenant Scott left that the tension left those of the Fish Squad. Captain Scott stood next to Alex, his brow furrowed in thought.

"There is something about you," Captain Fisher started, finally turning to look at her. "That I cannot place." He narrowed his eyes at her, before sighing and moving back towards the fire, letting the matter drop.


	4. Chapter 4

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_Life_

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Life continued in the camp throughout the cycle. As a camp between two larger bases, there was little to do, and Captain Fisher, as well as his soldiers, were getting anxious to get back into the action. Alex silently agreed with the men. It was getting troublesome to avoid Lieutenant Scott as he seemed to hold a personal vendetta against her. One afternoon, they were out on patrol when the orders came. As they rode back in, the Commander was waiting, and told them there was no point in getting off of their horses. He had the base servants pack all their gear, which was being placed with the respective owners, and that he had received correspondence that they were needed on the frontlines as soon as possible. Captain Fisher nodded and turned his horse around.

"You heard the man. To the frontlines." He waved his hand towards the path and took off at a steady gait with his soldiers following behind. Alex didn't even look back.

It wasn't until they arrived at the battle did she feel the butterflies of anxiety. Shoving them down, she slid off her horse with the other men, quickly hitching the horse to a tree and running behind one of her squad mates, Goddard. Bullets were flying everywhere, sparing no one who got in their paths. They slid across the ground into a foxhole and made quick work of the longcoats that were residing in it. A moment later, another one of her squad mates, Donovan, slid in as well.

"This should be fun!" Half sarcasm, half pure joy, Donovan seemed to enjoy the response of rolled eyes from his fellow comrades before hoisting himself out of the foxhole and making his way further along.

"Damn." Alex glanced over and saw Goddard fiddling with his rifle.

"Switch." Goddard gave her an odd look before reluctantly handing over his rifle and taking hers. As he focused on eliminating the enemy, she focused on the weapon. Methodically but quickly checking to see what parts were working and which parts were not. Finding the problem, she disassembled the rifle, tweaked the broken part, and reassembled it. Tapping Goddard on the shoulder, she took her rifle back, placed his in his hands, and lifted herself out of the foxhole, making a mad dash across the open space before dropping behind a wall next to Donovan. Scooting back so that her back was against the wall, she hissed as a cut rubbed against the rough surface, before shooting blindly over the wall towards the longcoats. Donovan was talking to a soldier from the group that was defending the position that was sitting next to him.

"Do we know how many there are?" He received a shake of the head. "Did you call for reinforcements?" Another negative. "Shit." Alex looked over at Donovan after he said this, taking in the calm way he muttered the expletive. Deciding that now would be a good time to get them out of this mess, Alex closed her eyes. Seconds later, a loud explosion was heard, causing everyone to drop and cover their heads. An eerie silence came over the camp as soldiers lifted their heads and checked their bodies to make sure that everything was there. The Fish Squad however, was on their feet, making their way towards the explosion, cautious of any surviving longcoats. Finding none, only the remains of some and a large crater, they returned to the camp.

"What happened?" Captain Fisher stepped forward and quickly explained to the leader of the camp what had happened.

"They blew themselves up."

"Really?" Fisher nodded.

"Indeed." The leader nodded, looking around the camp before moving away from Captain Fisher and towards his own people. Captain Fisher turned from the controlled chaos before him to his soldiers, running an eye over all of them to make sure that none of them were seriously injured. Confident that no one was seriously injured enough to die before they made it to the next stop, he spoke. "Mount up. We're moving on." Everyone nodded and moved over to their horses, untied them, and rode on.

Alex rode quietly, not speaking, merely taking in all that surrounded her. She had killed people today, her first kills, and she didn't know how she felt about that. She watched as Tal leaned over to mutter in the Captain's ear; Embry and Yared had decided to play a version of the game I, Spy. Wondering how they could carry on after killing people, she had failed to notice the other two members of the squad slowly closing in. Donovan and Goddard noticed her quietness and fell in beside her. Goddard spoke first.

"First kills?" Alex nodded. Donovan continued,

"You realize they would have killed us, right?" Alex nodded.

"I suppose that killing is something that I'll have to get used to." Goddard leaned over and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Killing…it's something you never get used to. The moment you do, you've become one of them." Alex looked between the two and nodded.

"Thanks." Both of them nodded, never leaving her side until they hit the way station. Later that night as she lay on her bed roll, she pondered the changes that she had made to herself. She was irrevocably changed; whether for the good or the bad, she was no longer the mostly innocent farm girl that had first arrived here. Before her mind could turn to lost friends and broken hearts, she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of blue eyes and vast open fields.


	5. Chapter 5

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_Donovan Interlude 2_

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We never did get into that competition with the 1st Squad, having been called away to fight in the war. Shows you how much they're valued. But I digress.

We've been away now for a cycle, and I've come to the conclusion that the Captain is insane. We have done so many night patrols, and been ambushed on said night patrols, that everyone in the squad has come to the same conclusion as I. We will not, however, bring that up with the Captain. He may be crazy, but none of us has died yet, so maybe that's a good kind of crazy.

Looking around our home for the time being, my eyes settle on Alex. She is currently helping Goddard in unloading a truck that has come to drop off more supplies. She looks up to Goddard, and he sees her as a student to learn all that he's learned from his time with the Guard. I learned a lot from Goddard as well, and it's nice to see him spreading more of that vast wealth of knowledge around some more.

When I first saw Sindu Goddard, I was a scared green soldier, and he was with the 1st Squad. I mumbled through my greeting, scared of getting it wrong, when he raised an eyebrow and decided to take pity on me. I couldn't help but be drawn to the fatherly air that he had around him, and he looked the part too; tall, with more pepper than salt hair, and lively brown eyes. I once asked him if he had children. He nodded and said,

_"Many children. In fact, you are one of them."_ He never actually gave me a straight answer, now that I think of it. A commotion broke through my musings, and I stood from the stool in front of the mess hall to watch as two soldiers from another squad got into a fight. Alex and Goddard noticed as well, waving to me before continuing to unload the gear. As the two soldiers continued to settle their dispute, their Commanding Officer made his way over to the men.

I shook my head at their stupidity, probably fighting over some girl with the squad that had shown up last night. My thoughts interrupted, I walked over to Alex and Goddard and leaned against the truck.

"Feel free to help." Alex muttered with a grunt.

"But my dear, I might break a nail if I help you two with your large, heavy boxes."

"Your sarcasm wounds, Donovan." As she finished the sentence, she dropped one of those large, heavy boxes near my foot. I skipped away, howling with indignation.

"Hey now! That's no way to treat a man who is trying to win your affections." Goddard rolled his eyes at my tone by setting down the box he held.

"Go away, Donovan. I don't have time for unruly children." Alex agreed.

"Besides, you know what happened to the last guy that tried to win my affections?" I shook my head and leaned forward. "I broke both his arms." I jerked back in surprise, tucking my arms behind by body to protect them. She looked as if she were considering something, before continuing. "Of course, maybe that was just because he was trying to get into my pants." She looked down at me with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Are you trying to get into my pants?" I shook my head vigorously in the negative, scuttling away like a chastised child; Goddard's laughter echoing after me.

Embarrassed, I made my way inside the mess hall, looking for some of my other squad mates. Seeing the distinct orange glare of Yared's hair, I made my way over. Sliding onto the bench next to him, I nodded to Embry and Tal.

"I almost just got my arms broken." The other three looked at me as if I was going crazy. "Alex just threatened to break my arms." Yared placed a bony hand on my shoulder.

"You know me. I love to gossip." I nodded. "What you just told me doesn't sound like the whole story. I should know." I sighed and looked around the mess. "Will your pride let you tell me the whole story?" I shook my head, content to let my pride rest before another assault.

"What happened between those two fellows that caused them to come to fists?" Tal finished munching on his bread before he spoke.

"One guy said the other guy was a whoopsy," He gestured with the bread to show a see-saw. "And the other guy said that the guy who called him a whoopsy was, and I quote, "not his type, but if he really wanted too?"...Needless to say, there was a commotion and they decided to settle it with fists." He popped the rest of the bread into his mouth.

"Good thing for us they decided to use fists instead of pistols." I looked at Embry, wondering why he felt to add that to the story. Shaking my head, I reached across the table and swiped some of Embry's food.

"It's not good to steal, you know." I straightened and winced. Alex slid in next to Tal, giving me a falsely sweet smile, as Goddard slid in next to me. "I should tell the Captain." Tal raised his eyebrows at me, before standing, having finished his lunch. Yared leaned over and whispered into my ear.

"You are in so much trouble." I gave him a look that said, "No joke." As he stood and followed after Tal. Alex placed her hands behind her head and watched as I squirmed in my seat. I gave Alex and innocent smile, hoping that I was going to escape from this situation with my pride intact. Goddard spoke from his spot next to me.

"I think it's funny that you are scared of a green soldier."

"It's not funny." That sounded suspiciously like whining to me. Not good, not good at all for me. I saw Alex wave her hand at Goddard, before resting her elbows on the table before me.

"I know that it's harmless flirting that you're doing." I opened my mouth to protest, but she spoke before I could get a word in edgewise. "I'm a woman. I know when someone is flirting with me. The thing is, if I ever return to where I once lived…" She trailed off and rubbed her nose. "I have somebody. Not that it's reciprocated, far from it, but I don't think that I can…well involve myself with someone when my heart won't be in it." I sat there, stumped. I quickly analyzed the situation, realizing that whomever this bloke was back from wherever Alex was from was a fool to let her out of his sight. "Do you understand?" I nodded.

"I didn't mean to come off as if I wanted to get into your pants." She gave a small shrug.

"I know. Just, digging the foxhole before knowing that there was going to be a war." I watched as her hand came across the table for a shake. "Are we ok?"

"One thing."

"Yes?" She drew that out, making me wonder what she thought I was going to ask.

"Can I still flirt with you?" She gave a startled laugh and nodded. "Most excellent!" She gave another laugh as I shook her hand. "What?" She waved her hand at me and stood, walking out of the mess. I turned in my seat to look at Goddard. "I don't understand." Goddard shrugged.

"How should I know?" I threw my hands up into the air.

"Women!"


	6. Chapter 6

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_Life_

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The next few cycles passed in the same way the journey to their new location had been; skirmishes and all out fights plagued the day while night patrols and more fights permeated the nights.

On the night of the start of her tenth cycle with the Fish Squad, Alex was told that she wouldn't be doing night patrol. Puzzled, she made her way to their camp, only to be shocked by the sight of all her squad members with their hoods up. Coming to a stop in front of the one she assumed was Captain Fisher, she raised one eyebrow in a silent question. To which he replied,

"We the soldiers of the 2nd Squad of the 1st Battalion gather tonight to introduce a soldier into our ranks. For the past ten cycles, we have had a Green soldier within our numbers. Tonight, we will remove the title of Green from Aleksi Hildebrandt, replacing it with Soldier." All of the men in the circle bobbed their heads once. "Aleksi Hildebrandt, step forward and kneel." Doing as he said, Alex looked down at the ground waiting for her next instruction. "From this point on, you will be Aleksi Hildebrandt, Soldier in the Royal Guard for the land of the OZ. Bear the title well, keeping in mind that you are representing the Queen of this fair land. Do you reaffirm your oath to serve the Queen?"

"I do."

"Please stand." Fisher said with a nod before removing his hood with a smile. As the others around him did the same, he draped his arm over her shoulder and steered her towards the fire.

"What? No official comment like, 'Welcome to the club!' or 'You're one of us now!'?" Donovan smiled and replied,

"You were already one of us. Now it's just official." She smiled and sat down to enjoy a good meal with her brothers-in-arms. She was about to dig into her stew when a question popped into her head.

"Hey Captain?" He looked over at her. "What's your first name?"

"Of all the questions you could ask," Goddard laughed. "You pick that one?"

"Hey!" She shouted indignantly. "It's a valid question." He waved his hand to quiet the laughing from Goddard and the other men and replied,

"Evan. It's Evan." Alex nodded before digging into her stew.

That was the last peaceful evening to be had with the Fish Squad.

Unrest was spreading through the land at the unease of all the longcoats trying to reclaim what they thought was theirs, as well as the less-than-reputable people of the OZ tried to capitalize on the continued instability of the monarchy.

An annual and a half later, Alex, as well as the other soldiers of the Fish Squad was at their tether's end. Constant fighting with the enemies had left them battle worn and fatigued, in both body and mind. Because of this, they were ordered to return to Central City for some much needed rest and recuperation. Alex personally didn't want to return to the city she fled from, but she kept her concerns close to her chest. Besides, she was tired enough not to bat an eye at the thought of meeting the General of the Royal Guard, even though he was one of the reasons she left.

They were stopped by a longcoat faction about a day's ride away from Central City, and Alex, tired, hungry, and fed up with longcoats, let her eyes shut as she took cover behind a large rock, searching out any explosives the longcoats were carrying and sparked the detonators. Several explosions rocked the air, killing the remaining longcoats that were still standing. Sighing, Alex opened her eyes and made to stand up, only to be stopped by the eyes of Evan trained on her with a calculating look. She sighed and nodded. Evan nodded back and turned away, leaving Alex to ponder the coming conversation between her and her squad leader.

They had set up camp as night fell; they were a half's day journey away from Central City, but with the earlier longcoat attack, they were playing on the safe side.

"Tal." Evan spoke without turning away from his position next to the trees.

"Yes Sir."

"You're in command." Receiving acknowledgement, he clasped Alex's arm and murmured to her to walk with him.

He let go of her elbow as they left the glow of their firelight and stepped into the moonlight night. For a while, all they did was walk. Alex waited, slightly anxious for the coming conversation and worried that she was about to lose the trust one of the few people she respected and trusted with her life. They eventually made their way to a cliff that was at the back of the small forest they passed through, where Evan sat down and patted the earth next to him. Alex lowered herself down and draped her legs over the edge.

"Who are you? Really?" Alex looked at him in confusion.

"Sir?" He looked at her through the corner of his eye and sighed.

"There has to be some reason that the Commander placed you in my squad all those cycles ago. I admit that you have a great potential to be an excellent soldier, but I wouldn't get you, nay, I wouldn't even hear about you until you reached that point; the point where you are now. The Commander had to have seen something that would have tipped him off to something bigger than having a Green on the elite squad of the Royal Guard." He paused. "Add in the fact that I saw you do magic earlier today. While that's not uncommon, the fact that you did it with such power tells me you're not telling me everything. I'll ask you once more; do you want to tell me who you really are?" Alex shifted and sighed.

"There are things that I have done in the past that I am not fond of." She stopped and looked out over the land before her.

"What? Were you a longcoat?"

"No. No. Not like that." She scratched her head and sighed. "I suppose I should start from the beginning."

"That would be nice." She gave a small smile and began to speak.

_I was five when my whole world started to change. A little girl, I knew nothing of the consequences that came with doing something seriously wrong. And because of that, I paid. It would have been fine it had just been me that was affected, but I was not the only one. Many, many people suffered as a result of my one mistake. Many people, myself included, died, and many more were torn from their families, never to see them again. I was placed in a place where I had no knowledge of this grave transgression. And I lived my life without the guilt that should have rested on my shoulder. Many annuals later, I returned, thrust into a world I didn't know and trusted to solve the problem that I had caused in the first place. I rose to the challenge, learning who I was along the way. But somewhere in those cycles of reconnection and supposed retribution, I became something I had vowed never to become. And so I left._

You told me that you weren't going to be my mother or my father to which I responded that my parents were dead. I lied to you. My parents are alive and well, the last time I heard living quite comfortably in Central City." Evan sat quietly, taking in her story.

"You didn't answer my question." She nodded.

"My real name is Dorothy Gale Beauvais, Princess of the Realm of the OZ. Explains the magic that I have, if you were wondering." She sat silently as Fisher processed this comment. Eventually, he found the words he wanted to say.

"Princess?" DG merely nodded. "Wow." He sat silently for a few more minutes before speaking again. "That's why the Commander set you with me."

"I don't know how he knew who I was." He glanced at her.

"He can detect people's magic. Comes in handy, actually." DG nodded.

"I would imagine."

"What now?" DG looked at Evan.

"Now? Now we do nothing. You still treat me as a subordinate, I still treat you as a superior officer, and we don't tell anyone."

Evan and Alex, formerly known as DG, sat side by side, staring out into a land that was fraught with danger and death, each one pondering what was in store for the future of an insecure Monarchy.

_xx_

AN: I know that there are people out there, I just know it. But I'd like some feedback on what they think of my story. For everyone who had been watching my story, I thank you very much.


	7. Chapter 7

_Donovan Interlude 3_

Can you believe it? Our sweet little Alex is actually the Princess of the OZ! I have to say that I could almost see it coming, just like the rest of us around the fire could, but the Princess of the OZ!

This revelation came to us when Evan dragged Alex through the forest to the cliff nearby, and as per safety precautions, we had two men follow, Embry and Malcolm, and not twenty minutes later, Malcolm comes scurrying back and says,

"_Alex is the freaking' Princess of the Outer Zone!"_ I scratched my head and watched the others sitting around the fire. Tal looked up when my eyes landed on his head, and he spoke.

"I have to say, I thought there was something different about her." Malcolm shrugged as Goddard drew out his knife to pick underneath his nails. I narrowed my eyes.

"You knew." Goddard looked up from his nails to look at me, before shrugging. I noticed in passing that we shrugged a lot, before continuing with my original line of thought. "You did know. Why didn't you tell us?" Goddard sheathed his knife and looked at us.

"I didn't know for sure, but I had a gut feeling that there was more than what meets the eye."

"Real poetic, Goddard."

"Embry, while you may have finesse with a horse, you have none with the English language." Embry stiffened and glared across the fire at Goddard, fingering his knife's hilt.

"Enough." I inserted myself between the two. "It changes nothing."

"Donovan is right. This changes nothing. She has saved our lives plenty of times in the past three annuals, and she has never lied to us." Tal raised his hand to cut off the protests. "About the important things, like whether or not longcoats are about to attack. Hold your tongues, she'll tell us when she's ready. No sooner." Tal rolled his shoulders and looked at each of the men's faces, silently daring them to debate his point. "Whatever she went through, we have to be there for her."

"Like she was for us." I decided, as Embry, Goddard, Malcolm, Yared nodded their heads, that life just got a little more complicated.

The Captain was going to lose his mind.


	8. Chapter 8

_xx_

_Life_

_xx_

The next day, everything was back to normal and they made it to Central City without any further problems.

DG had gone silent as they rode through the city walls pondering if she would be recognized and if she could really be here for three cycles before going back out without losing her mind.

Past buildings that she had hid in; past streets the that she had walked on; past the little shop on the corner that sold the best pastries that could be bought in the middle of the night; past all the things that had surrounded her in her abandoned life. She had thought that she could make a clean break, blend in with the soldiers, never being recognized for a talent she seemed to have for strategy by keeping it close to her chest. Her time with the Fish Squad altered this view; men would have died had she not spoken up with better plans. With the palace looming in the center of the city, DG glanced at the men surrounding her. It was a surprise to find out that they had known that she was the Princess; when she and Evan went for their walk, another two soldiers, as per safety precautions followed, thus overhearing the conversation.

What was even more surprising was the fact that they said it didn't change anything because she was still just Alex to them. That had nearly brought her to tears, but she swallowed them and gave them a nod and a, "Thank you."

She could tell that they were glancing at her through the sides of their eyes, so she rolled her eyes at them and urged her horse so that it walked next to Evan's horse.

"They're just worried about you." DG raised a hand in response.

"I know. I know. Still, they're part of one of the two most elite squads in the Royal Guard; you'd think they'd be able to hide it better." He shrugged and looked at the gates that were approaching. DG gave him one more glance before slowing her horse down to walk in between Donovan's and Goddard's horses.

"Halt! Who approaches the gate?"

"The 2nd Squad of the Royal Guard. We are here under the request of Her Majesty." The man on the wall nodded and motioned with his hand for another guard to open the gate. The weary soldiers urged their horse through the gate and dismounted, handing their mounts over to the stable hands.

"Her Majesty said that I was to escort you to her on your arrival. If you'll follow me?" With that, another servant led the way through the large double doors and through a maze of halls. Donovan leaned over and whispered into DG's ear.

"This place is a defensive nightmare. Look'it all the nooks and crannies. Plus there are exits everywhere." DG whispered back,

"How do you think I got out all the time? How do you think I left?" Donovan nodded before straightening out.

They had arrived at the Queen's Chambers.

The servant knocked on the door.

"Enter." He stepped forward and opened the door, allowing the men and woman of the 2nd squad to precede him into the room. The Queen looked up as they entered. The first thing DG noticed about her mother was how old she looked. Glancing at the men around her, she saw that they had noticed as well. "Welcome to Central City." She stood. "I realize that these are trying times, but I have heard much about your squad and about how long you have been in the field." Evan bowed his head before he started to speak.

"Captain Fisher, your Highness. And it's been no trouble; we've had to go longer during the resistance." She nodded her head and turned to look out her window.

"I do not want the best we have to die because of exhaustion."

"Yes your Majesty." All of the squad murmured, proud at being called the best. She turned back to them, looking each one of them over before continuing.

"Please try and enjoy your three cycles here. I fear that there is much, much more to do, and it will be the last good rest you will be able to get for a long time." The door to the left of the Queen opened and DG had to suppress a gasp. There, in all his zipper-headedness glory, stood Glitch. The Queen looked at Glitch as he made her way towards her.

"I am sorry to interrupt your Majesty, but there is something that I have to discuss with you."

"Very well. Captain Fisher, there is a servant outside this door that will take you and your men to their quarters." As they walked out the door, DG couldn't hide her disappointment. That was not Glitch, but Ambrose. The man who had once been her friend had his brain replaced while she was still at the palace. He had reverted back to Ambrose, not remembering any of their shared journey. She had hoped that time would have allowed some of that memory to return, but she was wrong. Donovan, noticing her discomfort, draped his arm over her shoulder and offered her his silent comfort. Arriving at their rooms, she noticed that she was staying with Donovan.

"Looks like you and I will be sharing a room again." He said it with his usual dry humor, to which DG rolled her eyes.

"At least it's not the tent." That garnered laughs from the rest of the men, causing Donovan to place his hands over his heart.

"You wound me, fair Alex. To think that you were merely playing with my heart as if it were a toy." Evan rolled his eyes as he stepped in between the two and pushed them apart.

"Enough. Both of you. We are here to relax, not rile each other up even more. To your separate corners." A chorus of "Aww's" went through the squad before they parted ways to their various rooms. Donovan opened the door for DG, before following her in and shutting the door. DG tossed her bag at the foot of the bunk closest to the window and flopped down onto the bedding, releasing a tremendous sigh.

"You going to be ok?" DG lifted her head off of the bed.

"I suppose so." She let her head fall back onto the bunk as she continued. "Just as long as they don't find out I'm here." He made a sound of acknowledgement. "Just as long as he doesn't show up." The last part was mumbled under her breath to herself, but years of depending on the sounds around him allowed Donovan to pick the comment up.

"Who's this now?" DG cursed and sat up.

"Can you be bribed not to say anything if I tell you?" Donovan stroked his beard.

"Let's call this one a favor." He stuck out his hand and DG clasped it.

"Fair enough." She looked out the window before speaking. "When I originally came here, I had been dropped out of a travel storm. The people who I thought were my parents, I still call them my parents, were nowhere to be found. Throughout my first few days here, as I'm sure you've heard, I had a great adventure in order to save the OZ." Donovan nodded. "Do you know about the three men who ended up traveling with me?"

"Of course. Those three have legend status. As do you." DG scratched her chin and nodded in agreement.

"Then you know about Cain." Donovan sat up straighter and leaned forward in anticipation. "He was the second person I had met on this side, apart from those munchkins. He was…so angry when I first met him. But I guess that was to be expected, seeing as he had just come out of iron suit after watching his family be taken away from him for annuals. But throughout the time that we, all of us, spent together, he seemed to unthaw. I thought that…I don't know…he would have stayed, at least until things weren't as shaky at the tower. But with the rising sun of the second cycle after the eclipse, he was gone." She let out a laugh that lacked any joy. "I suppose that that's something." During her retelling, Donovan had moved next to her, sitting so that their thighs were brushing.

"And now the last thing you need when you're tired and hurt is to see him again." DG nodded.

"Even though he shouldn't recognize me, _I'll_ recognize _him_." Donovan rested his arm over her shoulders. DG leaned into him with a sad sigh. The silence left each person to their thoughts, forcing each one to think about the things that had hurt the most. "I guess I was more of a nuisance than a help back then." Donovan looked at the wall adjacent to them, pondering the right words.

"I think it just meant that you were to have a different path than what the Royal Couple wanted for you." He paused and considered whether or not to say what else was on his mind. Turning his face so that he could see her profile, he continued. "I feel as though things will get better…with time." DG gave a mirthless laugh and looked at him.

"Isn't that what they all say?" With that, she murmured a "Thank you" and stood. Donovan stood with her.

"Know that we are all here for you. You've saved our lives more times than we can count. It's only fitting that we be able to return the favor." DG gave him a real, small smile before opening the door and leaving. Donovan poked his head out of the door as she was about to turn the corner and called out, "You know he's coming to honor us, right? He came back later at the request of the Queen and she appointed him to the rank of General." DG froze, before slowing turning to face him.

"You better not be lying." He grimaced.

"No." DG looked to the sky.

"Why God? Why?"


	9. Chapter 9

_xx_

_Life_

_xx_

The squad had managed to make it through the first cycle with little fuss, however when news of the General's upcoming arrival was announced, the palace went into a frenzy. The men and woman of the Fish Squad did their best to stay out of the way, but more often than not, they were exactly where the maid needed to clean the floor, or shine the suit of armor.

This did nothing to improve DG's mood. Already nervous about his arrival, she was pissed that her favorite hiding place was hijacked for his sleeping quarters.

"The bastard." The other members of the squad knew well enough to hang around her all the time now, "No telling," as Goddard put it, "when she's gonna snap. We have an obligation to the public not to let this menace roam free to injure all the innocents."

One evening, they were in Evan's room. Since he was an officer, he received a larger room with a couch, which he was currently draped across. The other squad mates were strewn across various chairs, the floor, and the bed, each one exhausted by the workout session they had just went through. Embry was in the middle of a story about two resistance fighters and a really smart horse when the door swung open.

Lo and behold, in all his cowboy glory, stood General Wyatt Cain, or as DG liked to call him, the great and almighty bloodhound. They all shot to their feet, but before they could get halfway he waved them down. As they returned to a sitting position, he looked them all over. Eventually, his eyes came to a rest on DG. After scrutinizing her for a minute, he turned to Evan.

"I thought you didn't take women on your squad, Captain Fisher." Two annuals and seven cycles later, DG came face to face with Cain, and her first thought was "What a prick." Before she could make any other observations, Evan spoke.

"I didn't Sir. But she has an amazing talent with strategy and fighting. I take the best Sir, and she's the best." Cain nodded.

"You're aware of the officer's meeting tomorrow?"

"Yes Sir." Cain looked around the room once more before turning on his heel and leaving. All the squad turned to look at DG after the door closed, DG however, was staring at the door, wondering how she had so badly misjudged Cain. "You ok, Alex?" She turned her head away from the door to face the concerned looks of her squad mates.

"How could I have so badly misjudged him?" Evan looked at her before turning to Yared.

"Hey Yared?" He lowered his knife and the piece of wood he was whittling.

"Yeah boss?"

"You always seem to be in the know of what's going on with pretty much everybody. Time for you to indulge us in some gossip." Yared raised one eyebrow, before he leaned forward, obviously excited to spread what he knew.

"I have a slew of stuff that I could tell you about, but I'll stick with the things that pertain to what's going on now. So we all know of the Princess DG's disappearance. Word in the palace and among the workers is that ever since she magically went 'Poof,' the General's been in a funk. Although how they could tell, it was beyond me. Some of the stories that I heard from before the good princess left told me that he wasn't all that happy." He paused, before continuing. "I get the feeling that he is a hard man to please."

"No kidding."

"Care to share?" DG looked at Donovan.

"One time I tried to learn to shoot from Cain. He left me no room for error, and when I did inevitably make a mistake, you know how I am with new things, he would go into a foul mood for the rest of the day. I always got the feeling that I was disappointing him."

"Well good riddance to him." Everyone looked at Malcolm. "I mean, if he's such a jerk that he expects everyone to be perfect, when he himself is not, he should just go rot someplace else." Evan looked at Malcolm before saying,

"Well said, I guess."


	10. Chapter 10

xx

_Life_

_xx_

Life went on. DG worked her hardest to avoid running into Cain, sometimes running into her mother's entourage and sometimes into her father just to avoid him. She knew it was inevitable that she was going to come across him, especially since there was a ceremony coming up at the end of the week to honor the Fish Squad, and he was going to be the one presiding over the ceremony.

The night before the ceremony, DG fell asleep after checking to make sure that her uniform was spotless and ready, while Donovan made last minute alterations to his.

_She was standing in the middle of a green pasture that seemed to go on for ages all around her. Turning around, she began to walk. She didn't know why she was walking, only that there was a subtle yet pressing urge to walk that way. There seemed to be no sense of time, the sun was suspended in one place above her head. Eventually, she came to a small hill. After she climbed it, she stood in awe at the scene before her. This was her old home. Except she didn't remember Kansas being so green. That small fact slid out of her brain as one of the doors opened to the barn house and her father stepped out. She took off down the hill, running towards her father._

_"Dad!" At her yell, her father looked up. A look of joy crossed his face and her father moved towards her as she ran towards him full tilt. They crashed into each other and her father held her close to him._

_"Emily!" As they pulled apart, her father called out to her mother. DG felt as if her face would fall apart. Coming out of the house was her mother, and as soon as she saw DG, her eyes teared up._

_"DG." Emily engulfed DG in a hug, before pulling back and checking her for any injuries. When she saw none, she let out a sigh of relief and spoke. "I was so worried. Here, come inside." Emily opened the screen door and ushered DG and Hank in. "We didn't know if you were going to come back from Australia, so we kept your room the same." She walked into the kitchen, still speaking. "When you left so suddenly without a note, we were worried that someone had taken you. But Hank did some digging and found out that you had purchased a ticket for Australia." She walked back into the room with a steaming mug. _

_DG didn't know how to respond. Her parents had thought that she had gone to Australia, when she had gone to the other side of the rainbow. Or did she? Shaking her head, she glanced at her parents before taking a sip of the coffee._

_"I had the weirdest dream on the flight back." Hank sat forward._

_"You know I love a good story." DG nodded._

_"I dreamed that these men had come into our house and were trying to kill us. We managed to escape by jumping into a twister."_

_"A twister?"_

_"Hank, don't interrupt."_

_"Anyway, long story short, I was on the other side of the rainbow and I melted a witch." She didn't know why she had the sudden urge to abbreviate her story, only that something was telling her that something was wrong. Standing up, she moved towards the window._

_"Pumpkin?" She didn't hear her father, her eyes focused on the object that was racing towards the house. It wasn't until it was almost upon them when she deduced that the black mass was another twister. She had no time to turn around, left to wonder why she couldn't recognize something that she had been taught to recognize since she was two, and the swirling vortex was upon her. Thrown into darkness, she couldn't even see the tip of her nose. _

_Slowly, a scene came into focus before her. She realized immediately what it was and tried to run, only to find that her legs would not move. _

_Before her was the cave that had started the whole fiasco._

_Blackness fell._

_A flash of her life in Kansas._

_Blackness. _

_A flash of meeting Glitch._

_Flash of meeting Cain._

_Of meeting Raw._

_Cain hunched over his wife's grave._

_Getting kidnapped by the seeker._

_Getting trapped in the Green Marble Coffin._

_Meeting Cain's son._

_Raiding the Tower._

_The black remains of the witch._

_Cain yelling at her._

_Her robo-parents rusted in a corner._

_Her last glance of the palace before she ran away._

_The images all blurred together, forming an image that DG had never seen before in her life. _

_It started off as a gray mist, but as the mist slowly rolled away, she could see the room where the ceremony was going to be held. The last time she had seen it, it had been empty, but now it was full, with soldiers and servants all seated in chairs. Cain was standing at the front on the lowest step; behind him sat the Princess and one step above her, the Queen and the Prince Consort. Turning, she watched as the doors opened and in filed the Fish Squad. She knew something was about to go terribly wrong, like knowing you were in a nightmare yet unable to wake up. As they lined up in the front of Cain, the doors at the rear were shoved open, and in strode thirty longcoats, all with their guns raised. _

_"Drop your weapons now, and I won't shoot somebody right now." Guns clattered on the marble floor as the outnumbered soldiers dropped them from their grasp. "Very nice. Now, I have it on good authority that the Princess is here. It would be ever so nice if you put her before me now." Everyone in the room looked at each other, unsure why the longcoat didn't simply go grab her from the throne. The longcoat, seeing the confusion, cocked his rifle and pointed it at a servant's head. Terrified, the servant cried out._

_"She's right there!"_

_"Not her. She's not the right princess. Where is the savior princess? I know she's here." No one spoke. "Very well." With that, he pulled the trigger. DG flinched as the man slumped over, dead. "I'll ask you again. Where is the Princess?" He trained the rifle on another servant. The DG in the vision stepped forward._

_"Enough." The longcoat barely looked at her before scoffing._

_"Yes and I'm the Mystic Man." DG closed her eyes and let the magical clocking drop. Everyone in the room not on the Fish Squad let out surprised gasps. As the longcoat's eyes darted over her face, DG only heard the startled gasp of Cain. Wishing she could turn around to face, but knowing she couldn't, she raised her hands in a sign of surrender. _

_"We'll leave now. No one else has to die." The longcoat nodded and gestured to the other longcoats in the room. As the filed out, the leader strode up to DG and roughly grabbed her arm, snarling at everyone who moved,_

_"You move and she dies. Simple as that." DG looked up for the briefest of seconds to get one last look at her family, catching Cain's eyes as she did. Forcing herself to look away from the pain filled eyes, DG was led out of the room. The DG who was watching went to follow herself, only to find herself surrounded once more by gray mist. Slowly, the mist started to congeal, becoming more and more dark with each passing minute. Eventually, she could see no more, not even her hand right in front of her eyes._

And that was when she woke up.

She didn't wake up with a scream, but with a small gasp of air. Looking across the room, she saw Donovan about to go to sleep.

"Donovan!" He flinched slightly and turned around.

"I thought you were asleep." She shoved the covers off and started to stand.

"I was. I had a premonition." Donovan reached for his boots as she began to put on her own.

"A premonition?"

"Yeah." Finished with her boots, she tossed on her coat and made for the door. "We need to talk to Captain Fisher."

"Hold up." His arms were at an odd angle, after he had tried to put on his coat on both arms at a time. Finally freeing his arms, he nodded.

DG shoved the door open, startling the maid who was passing their door. "Sorry." DG mumbled this and took off at a sprint for Evan's room with Donovan hot on her heels. Reaching his room, she didn't even bother to knock, choosing to burst into the room unannounced. Two heads snapped to the doorway in surprise.

"Alex…?" DG cut Evan off before he could continue.

"I just had a premonition. There's going to be an attack on the palace tomorrow." Evan eyes darted around the room as he processed that fact. DG glanced at the other occupant and was surprised to come face to face with Commander Jeb Cain. She nudged Donovan, and they both gave him a small salute, which he returned. "Our apologies for bursting in, Commander." Jeb waived the apology away.

"It's alright. I would rather hope that when one of my soldiers has a premonition about doom and death, they would feel comfortable enough to burst into a higher ranking officer's room and tell them." Evan finally stopped looking around the room long enough to focus on DG.

"What were they after?" DG slowly let a breath out of her nose and replied,

"Princess DG." Evan cursed. Jeb looked between the two with confusion before speaking.

"I don't understand the problem. The Princess has been missing for the past three annuals." DG looked between Evan and Jeb, letting the air in her lungs out slowly between her teeth, before nodding.

"What I'm going to say next will probably come as a huge surprise to you. And because of what I'm about to tell you is pretty much only known by seven people, I would like it if you kept this to yourself." Jeb looked at Evan, who nodded his head, then returned his gaze to DG.

"Fine." DG rubbed her hands over her face.

"I introduced myself to you as Aleski Hildebrandt. That was incorrect. My real name is Princess Dorothy Gale "DG" Beauvais. Alex is my alias. The reason we're so uptight about the attack is because, well, I'm here."

"And that means that somebody leaked." Donovan spoke from his position behind DG, looking at Evan as he spoke. Evan nodded, turning to look at Jeb.

"Sir?"

"You're DG." He let out a mirthless laugh. "If my dad knew…"

"Which is why we don't want this leaking. He's got enough on his plate as is." DG couldn't stop the little bit of bitterness that leaked into her voice. Jeb looked at her for a long two minutes, before shaking his head like a wet dog and looked at Evan.

"What are we going to do?"

The rest of the night was devoted to planning a proper defense. DG made the recommendation that the man who had been shot dead in her premonition stay in another part of the palace so that he wouldn't die. Jeb agreed, sending a note to the man saying that he would be working in the kitchen for the day. When they parted, each one looked outside to the rising suns, wondering if this was the last sunrise they would ever see.


	11. Chapter 11

_Donovan Interlude 4_

Runs concurrent with DG telling Jeb and Evan about her premonition.

I had just finished pressing my uniform and was crawling into bed when Alex started making these funny noises. Thinking that it was another nightmare, and having learned from previous experiences that it was never a good thing to interrupt her nightmares (I still trying to grow my beard back to its original length), I slipped beneath the covers of my own bed. About to drift off, I heard Alex shout my name.

"Donovan!" Flinching slightly from surprise, I rolled over so that I could look at her.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I was. I had a premonition." Blinking in surprise, I reached for my boots.

"A premonition?"

"Yeah." I finished tying my boots up and stood with her, grabbing my coat from its place on my chair. "We need to talk to Captain Fisher." I tried to slide my jacket on with both arms at the same time, but getting stuck, I called out to her.

"Hold up." Fixing myself, I nodded to her.

The rest of the night passed in a blur, with preparations for tomorrow's attack and the fall out of said attack. By the time we made it back to our rooms as the suns rose, both Alex and I were yawning.

It made me really glad that she suggested that I get my uniform ready the night before, or else I would have been screwed.


	12. Chapter 12

_xx_

_Life_

_xx_

Later in the day as the time for the ceremony approached, DG was getting dressed in the room by herself when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter." Jeb poked his head in, before pulling the rest of himself in and pulling the door closed behind him. She opened her mouth to speak, but Jeb's raised hand stopped her.

"Whatever it is, I don't think I want to hear it." He grabbed the desk chair and sat down on it, motioning her to do the same. As DG sat, he continued. "I won't pretend to know the reason why you decided to leave, and I won't pass judgment. I don't think I can. Besides, I think you already have passed judgment on yourself. I just came by to tell you that things changed dramatically after you left. I think your leaving spurred your family into doing the things needed for this country for it to rebuild itself; things I know you advocated for, if it's any consolation."

"Not really."

"I thought not. Yet that is the truth." He paused and looked at the desk, tracing the patterns with his finger. "My father…"

"Jeb." He looked at her and sighed, nodding his head in agreement.

"There are some things that should be said, but are better off left unsaid, especially in times of crisis. I understand." He stood and turned towards the door.

"Thank you, Jeb." He paused at the doorway and turned slightly to face her.

"If you decide to come back, I would be proud to call you my Queen." With that, he opened the door and left, leaving DG to sit on the bed, staring at the door.


	13. Chapter 13

_xx_

_Life_

_xx_

Everyone was dressed and ready to go for the ceremony, waiting for the proper cues. DG felt confident that the extra security measures installed will prevent any loss of life, but she didn't want to say it out loud for the fear of jinxing it. She only hoped that they could uncover the person who spilled their guts to the longcoats. After hearing the proper entrance cue, the Squad filed into the room. Looking around, DG could see Jeb in the audience, as well as other faces that were not in her dream scattered throughout the hall. As Evan led the way to the front of the room, DG felt the small pistol that was strapped to her hip. She, along with Donovan, Evan, Jeb, and his hand-picked soldiers were the only people in the room with weapons; at least, they were the only people that she knew had weapons. They were taking a risk by continuing the ceremony, but they had agreed that to call it off suddenly would alert whoever leaked that they were onto him. She glanced at Donovan out of the corner of her eye and saw that he looked paler than he usually did. She could bet that she looked pretty pale herself, but she thought that she was always pretty pale, so there was nothing she could do about that.

Just as Cain was about to speak, the doors were shoved open and a group of longcoats streamed in. While she couldn't say that she was happy that she was right, she felt validated.

"Drop your weapons now, and I won't shoot somebody in the immediate future." Guns clattered on the marble floor as the outnumbered soldiers dropped them from their grasp. DG, Donovan, Evan, Jeb and his soldiers had made sure that they didn't draw their weapons when the longcoats burst in. "Very nice. Now, I have it on good authority that the Princess is here. It would be ever so nice if you put her before me now." Everyone in the room looked at each other, unsure why the longcoat didn't simply go grab her from the throne. The longcoat, seeing the confusion, cocked his rifle and pointed it at a servant's head. Terrified, the servant cried out.

"She's right there!"

"Not her. She's not the right princess. Where is the savior princess? I know she's here." No one spoke. "Very well." This was where reality separated from DG's vision. Before the longcoat could even cock the trigger, men dropped from the ceiling, training their rifles on the longcoats; the soldiers on the ground drew theirs, and those that had dropped them picked them up. Two of the men who had dropped from the ceiling blocked the entrance that the longcoats came through, effectively trapping them. Jeb moved to the front of the room, ignoring the accusing look in his father's eyes.

"No one is to leave until we find whoever told these longcoats that the Princess is here." He looked at the men on the Fish Squad. "Believe me, we can wait you out." Realizing that they were being singled out, the members of the squad looked at each other, wondering who had betrayed DG's trust. DG walked over to Evan and Donovan before turning to face her fellow squad mates.

"Not to sound confused, but why does it matter if these longcoats are here for a Princess who is not?" Princess Azkadellia, contrary to her statement, sounded confused. The Queen and her Consort nodded their heads in agreement. Jeb looked at them as he spoke.

"If these longcoats were told that the Princess DG was here, then whoever notified these longcoats may know exactly where she is."

"And those three," The Queen waved her hand. "Are free from suspicion, why?"

"They were the ones who notified me. I also trust them with my life." The Queen looked between the four before nodding.

"Very well." She turned her gaze to the men before her. "If you know the whereabouts of my daughter, I would recommend that you come forward immediately. I might take your willingness to cooperate into consideration." The men before her looked up at her. It seemed as no one was going to step forward. "If that is how it is…"

"Wait." Goddard stepped forward. "I was the one who told the longcoats that the Princess would be here." The Queen looked to the head longcoat, who had by now watched as his fellow longcoats were detained alongside him and realized that death was probably quick to come, who nodded his head. Jeb raised a hand and Raw stepped forward. He placed his hands on Goddard's head, before pulling away and nodding. DG fought hard to keep her emotions under control. He was one of the three men who had accepted her without challenging her in those first few hours, and this felt as if someone had run over her dog again. Evan, however, had less control over his anger.

"This is…this is despicable. To think…to think that one of my own would stoop to such a low level." His nostrils flared. "I have nothing to say to you, Sindu Goddard, traitor." DG found that she could not watch as they detained Goddard, and found herself surrounded by Jeb, Donovan, and Evan as she walked down the hall. Cain was quick to follow, calling out to his son.

"Jeb!" The group stopped as Jeb turned to face him.

"Yes, father?" Cain looked as if he were barely containing his anger.

"Why did you not tell me of the longcoat attack? It was obvious that you knew it was coming." Jeb stared at his father's chest as he replied.

"I did not have the time to inform you of the threat."

"And yet you had time to assemble a squad of soldiers and place them so that they weren't obvious, as well as notify Raw?" Jeb let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'd rather not get into this with you right now." Cain leaned forward, a dangerous look on his face.

"Get into what?" His voice was deadly quiet, and Donovan, Evan and DG felt like they were intruding on an on-going family argument. Jeb glanced at them over his shoulder before looking back to his father.

"How you've become such an ass." Cain leaned back and narrowed his eyes.

"An ass."

"Yes."

"Really." Jeb said nothing more, merely looked up at his father with a determined look on his face. "Never mind that I am your commander…"

"No you're not." DG winced at the murderous look that crossed Cain's face.

"Excuse me?" Jeb fingered the hilts of his knives.

"You aren't. You command the troops out in the field. I command the troops within the palace. While your title is higher than mine, within these palace walls, I am in charge." 'Go Jeb!' DG could help but cheer for Jeb as he stood up to his father.

"I see." Cain nodded. "I see." DG could see that Cain was about to snap and spoke.

"Cain." His head didn't move as he stared at his son.

"What do you want DG?" She wasn't surprised that Cain responded with her given name; he'd forget before she'd finish her next sentence.

"Let it go. You're going to lose." Cain inhaled sharply through his nose and nodded, before turning on his heels and storming off. Jeb turned to face her. "Sorry Jeb, but I had to cut him off before he went ballistic." He gave her a shrewd smile.

"I was hoping that he would. He keeps bottling it up. Eventually, he's going to snap." He paused and then continued. "He said your name." DG nodded.

"He did."

"He obviously didn't realize it." DG nodded once more.

"And he won't remember it. At least, I think he won't." She shrugged. "Hearing my voice from a face he didn't recognize may bug him, but unless somebody actually tells him that I was the one who talked to him, he won't put two and two together and get four; he'll keep getting numbers like three or five." Jeb made a noise of agreement.

That was the last time DG saw Cain at the palace. She heard through the grapevine that he left to go be with the 1st Squad, and that the chance of him ever willingly returning to the palace was pretty much slim to none. DG tried to feel sad for him, but whenever she tried, she couldn't help but she the murderous look on his face when he was talking to Jeb.


	14. Chapter 14

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_Life_

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The Fish Squad's last cycle in the palace went as the first cycle did. Jeb spent more time with them, teaching them new methods to defend themselves, as well as providing new equipment for them to travel with. When Evan tried to protest, Jeb shook his head and said, "We look after each other."

The last day they were at the palace, the Queen, her Consort, and the Princess came to the stables. Most of the squad were saddling their mounts with the necessary bags, so when the Royal Family walked in, they tried to place the objects on their mounts.

"Please, don't." After they stilled, she proceeded. "I cannot thank you enough for your service. I realize that you were close to the Soldier Goddard," Everyone flinched at the name. "And that you felt betrayed by his actions. I ask you to put this from your mind." She looked away, looking as if she were considering her next words very carefully. "I miss my daughter very much. If this man heard something about her, then maybe you have as well. Any news you have now or gain in the future on her, I would greatly appreciate it. I have not given up hope; I believe that she will be returned." She nodded her head, turned, and walked out of the room, her husband hot on her heels and her daughter standing before the squad.

"I know that you know where she is. I also know that she is here. I believe that she belongs with you, the 2nd Squad. For now." Princess Azkadellia stared at her sister and gave her a soft smile. "Don't worry, baby sister. Your secrets safe with me." DG nodded.

"Thanks Az."

"But if things start to deteriorate here, we'll need you back here to take over the throne. I'll be sending you a letter if it comes to that." DG nodded. "It's time for the Fish Squad to leave." As they led the horses out of the stables, gave one last glance to the palace, knowing that someday, someday, she would be in charge of the whole thing.


	15. Chapter 15

_Donovan Interlude 5_

I have decided that I will no longer think. These past few days have felt like thinking only makes everything hurt more.

We were betrayed by the man we thought of as a father. It has taken two cycles for this to sink in. For us to look for Goddard, and then realize that Goddard is no longer there, was a jolt for all of us. It was even more of jolt when we remembered why he wasn't here.

Alex, I suppose I should call her DG now, seems to be waiting for that letter that her sister promised, but underneath that is the hurt that I know we are all feeling.

We were sitting around the fire one night and Alex started to speak.

_"Everybody is somebody's fool." She looked up at us. "It was from a movie based off of a book. Film noir." She gave a cracked smile._

That smile will be etched on my brain for the rest of my life.


	16. Chapter 16

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_Life_

_xx_

An annual had passed within the palace wall since the Fish Squad had left, and the people of the palace had finally found a normalcy in the day to day workings. In those first few annuals, all those who had resided within the palace kept to their everyday paths. Now, with extra time on their hands, since they completed the majority of the rebuilding of the country, the advisors recommended that they sent advisors with soldiers to discover what else the palace held. Everyday, the pairs of advisors and soldiers would traverse the palace, searching for technology that could advance the country for the better.

After a cycle of searching, a room was discovered that made the advisors uneasy. They called Ambrose to the room.

"Sir. We think we know what it is..."

"We're pretty sure." Another advisor cut over the first.

"But we wanted to make sure."

"That and we…well we wanted to know if we should destroy it." Ambrose looked between the two advisors before stepping in between the two and looking at the machine. He recognized it the moment he stepped into the room, but just to be sure…he nodded his head, running his hand over the lettering that confirmed his observation.

"We're not going to destroy it." Both the advisors bowed.

"Can we leave the room?" Ambrose nodded. As they left, he heard one mutter to the other,

"I don't think I'll say anything anymore until I'm sure that they've turned that listening machine off."

"Definitely." As the door closed behind them, Ambrose started to fiddle with the dials until sound started to come out of its speakers.

_"Jeb!"_ It appeared he was listening to something recent.

_"Yes, father?" _

_"Why did you not tell me of the longcoat attack? It was obvious that you knew it was coming." _Ambrose revised his initial assessment, placing the time of the conversation to about an annual ago.

_"I did not have the time to inform you of the threat."_

_"And yet you had time to assemble a squad of soldiers and place them so that they weren't obvious, as well as notify Raw?" _A sigh was audible.

_"I'd rather not get into this with you right now." _

_"Get into what?" _There was a long pause, with the soft sound of cloths rustling the only sound emitted until Jeb spoke again.

_"How you've become such an ass." _

_"An ass."_

_"Yes."_

_"Really. Never mind that I am your commander…"_

_"No you're not."_

_"Excuse me?" _

_"You aren't. You command the troops out in the field. I command the troops within the palace. While your title is higher than mine, within these palace walls, I am in charge." _

_"I see. I see." _

_"Cain." _Ambrose tilted his head at the addition of the new voice.

_"What do you want DG?" _His jaw dropped open I shock.

_"Let it go. You're going to lose." _A sharp exhalation echoed through the room before the sound of boots on stones reverberated through the room._ "Sorry Jeb, but I had to cut him off before he went ballistic." _

_"I was hoping that he would. He keeps bottling it up. Eventually, he's going to snap. He said your name." _

"_He did."_

"_He obviously didn't realize it." _

_"And he won't remember it. At least, I think he won't. Hearing my voice from a face he didn't recognize may bug him, but unless somebody actually tells him that I was the one who talked to him, he won't put two and two together and get four; he'll keep getting numbers like three or five."_ They said no more, and Ambrose dumbly turned off the device. Commander Cain knew that DG was in the palace and didn't report it. Ambrose looked around the room, wondering when everything got more complicated. He paused as he stood as the realization sunk in that the last words DG had ever said to him were actually true.

_"Things are a lot simpler when you don't know who you are."_ Just about to have his brain put back into his head, he ignored her in his excitement to know who he was. 'I should have listened to her!' He thought to himself furiously. He pushed the door and called to the soldier that was waiting.

"I need you to go find a messenger and have General Cain report back here immediately. Say it's under Her Majesty's command."

"Yes sir." He watched the soldier jog down the hall for a second before stepping out of the room and going the opposite way down the hall to see the Queen and her Consort. He made the trip in record speed, knocking on the door before entering. He stopped right inside the door and watched as the Queen spoke with another one of her advisors. She glanced at Ambrose and dismissed the advisor she was speaking to. Ambrose watched the advisor leave before turning to face the Queen.

"What is it Ambrose?" He stood before her with his hands clasped behind his back and gathered his thoughts.

"Your majesty, I believe I have a lead on the location of Princess DG." Silence greeted this statement as the Queen and her Consort processed this statement. She looked at Ambrose, disbelief in her eyes.

"Ambrose?" He nodded his head. The Queen turned to look at her husband with tears in her eyes. The Consort stepped forward and embraced her. Over her shoulder, he looked at Ambrose.

"Bring her home. Take whatever you need, just bring her home." Ambrose nodded, and left the room, allowing the husband and wife to embrace each other in peace. He strode through the halls until he reached a door. Sharply rapping on it, he waited patiently. The door swung open to reveal Raw.

"Hey Raw." Raw looked at Ambrose suspiciously. "How do you feel about another adventure?" The look of suspicion dropped from his face as he read the advisors feelings.

"Raw needs to pack. Raw will come." Ambrose nodded and waited for Raw to toss a few things into his pack. Watching as Raw firmly shut the door, Ambrose no longer thought of himself as Ambrose, but as Glitch; that lovable goof of a man that DG had released from the top of a munchkin cage all those annuals ago.


	17. Chapter 17

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_Life_

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Glitch had decided that it would only be fair to include a Cain in the adventure, so after collecting Raw, they made their way to Commander Jeb Cain's room. Seeing the door, Glitch poked his head in to find Jeb throwing his knife at a piece of wood hung on his wall.

"Something bothering you?" Jeb glanced over his shoulder as he walked over to the board to remove the knife.

"No." Glitch raised his eyebrows.

"Right and I'm the Lord of the Underworld." Jeb rolled his eyes at Glitch. "I digress. "How'd you like to go on an adventure?"

"No." Glitch stepped fully into room and gently closed the door.

"I know DG is with the 2nd Squad." Jeb glanced up at Glitch in surprise. "Yes, I know. We recently discovered that the witch wired up the palace to listen to everything that was going on with her minions. It was pure luck that I discovered the conversation where you're father said her name, forgot it, and she confirmed it."

"Yes. And he hasn't remembered it." Glitch nodded.

"But he's going to be on his way back." Jeb looked at him with question in his eyes. "I sent a messenger to go and fetch him, and if need be, drag him back here…I made it a royal order."

"Nice."

"So…want to come and get her?" Jeb simply leaned down and picked up his bag.

_xx_

They were riding towards the gate when Princess Azkadellia called for them to stop. She moved across the courtyard with an envelope in her hand.

"I need you to give this," She handed the envelope to Glitch. "To Alex." Glitch looked from the envelope to the Princess. "She'll know what to do with it. I suggest you give it to her when you get there, before you do anything else. Might make what you have to do easier." Glitch nodded and tucked it into his coat. He urged his horse into a trot with Jeb and Raw behind him, giving a one hand salute to the Princess as he rode out the gate.


	18. Chapter 18

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_Life_

_xx_

Their ride through the land was uneventful; the most exciting thing that had happened was the few minutes where they had thought that they were being followed by longcoat assassins, but the sound had turned out to be coming from a pair of small puppies.

They were stopped by the outermost guard of the 2nd Squad camp, but when he recognized who they were, he brought them into the center camp.

"Thank you…" Jeb knew most of the men if the squad, but he always switched a couple of them.

"Malcolm."

"Thank you Malcolm. Is Alex around?" Malcolm nodded and walked across the camp. He returned a few minutes later with Alex in tow.

"Commander Cain. What are you doing here?" Glitch spoke before Jeb could, stepping forward with the envelope in his hand.

"This letter is from Princess Azkadellia. She said to give it to you when we arrived." DG walked over to Glitch and grabbed it from him with a grim look on her face. She quickly read it, before folding it up and tucking it into her coat.

"Jeb…?"

"I'm afraid so." While they were talking, the whole squad had returned from their various duties. Evan walked over and clapped DG on the shoulder.

"Is it time?" She nodded. He turned to the men gather around him. "Pack it up. We're returning to the palace." Glitch looked baffled. Jeb, noticing his confusion, pulled him out of the way of the bustling group and asked him,

"What?"

"We didn't even have to ask where DG is. We still don't know where DG is."

"Yes we do. She's right there." Jeb pointed to Alex and Glitch murmured under his breath,

"Well color me pink and tie me to a tree." The squad had quickly dismantled the camp and mounted up, and was waiting for the trio to mount up when the trees started to shake. All the soldiers immediately dropped off there horses and pulled their rifles, training them on the tree line. When they finally parted, all the members of the squad cursed and stood, stowing their rifles and mounting up once more.

"Hey 1st Squad!" The 1st Squad looked up at the greeting from Evan. "The next time you decide to breach a tree line, make sure that the people on the other side won't shoot you." He rolled his eyes and urged his horse into a walk, with the rest of the squad shaking their heads at the 1st Squad's stupidity as they followed behind.


	19. Chapter 19

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_Life_

_xx_

During their trip, Glitch urged his horse so that it walked next to DG's. She glanced at him before returning her eyes to the tree line.

"I'm sorry." DG glanced at him in surprise.

"For what?" He petted his horse's mane before he continued.

"I should have listened to you." He raised his hand to prevent her from talking. "Just let me get this out." He paused. "When you told me that everything was so much simpler when you didn't knew who you were, I scoffed at you. I thought that it was stupid advice coming from a whining child." DG raised her eyebrows at this but said nothing. "And because of that, I lost you as a friend. I was a jerk and a prick, and more of those words that you liked to use when you were angry at someone. So…I know it's a little late coming but, could you forgive me? I'm deeply sorry." DG looked at Glitch with calculating eyes. "If it'll help, you can call me Glitch." DG smiled at this and looked away, considering.

"Apology accepted." Glitch smiled.

"And if I ever become that way again, you can…" He drummed his long fingers on the saddle horn. "You can lock me into a cage with a bunch of munchkins as my captors." DG laughed. Jeb leaned back with a smile and spoke,

"I'm the witness. Can I watch you put him in the cage?" DG gave another laugh and nodded.

"Sure."

The remainder of the trip was uneventful, and they arrived at the palace with all their pieces intact. As the stable hands came to take away their horses, Glitch slid off his saddle and asked his stable had if Cain had come yet.

"Not yet sir. But I heard that he is only a few days ride away now." Glitch nodded.

"Thank you." Azkadellia was waiting for the group in the ready room and smiled when she saw her sister.

"I think it's time to drop the disguise, baby sister." DG smiled and brought her magic back within her.

"Hey Az." She walked across the room and embraced her sister. "I guess it's time for me to stop avoiding my princess-ly duties." Az nodded her head in agreement and gave her another hug. When they broke apart, DG turned and faced her squad mates.

"I know I can't force you to stay here…well actually I can…but I won't. So if you want to leave, you can." Evan stepped forward.

"Speaking only for myself, Your Highness, but I think that I'd like to hang around. Heck, I'd be open to be a bodyguard." Donovan stepped forward as well.

"As would I, Your Highness."

"If you're going to be my bodyguard, then you better drop that Your Highness stuff right now." Evan and Donovan bowed their heads.

"As you wish, Your Grace." DG let out a sound of displeasure before she looked at the others. Just looking at them, she knew that they were going to leave.

"You don't have to say it. I agree with you. Tal?"

"Yes Alex?"

"Look after these guys for me, they're my brothers." After hugs and goodbyes, the 2nd Squad walked out, closing another chapter of DG's life.

They left the room and made their way to the Queen's office. DG was nervous; it was evident in the way she wrung her hands, but the others ignored it.

"What am I going to tell them?"

"I find that the truth always seems to work the best."

"Thanks Az."

"There's no need to be snippy. I'm trying to look after you baby sister." DG sighed and looked over her shoulder at Donovan and Evan.

"Any advice you guys have would be greatly appreciated." Donovan shrugged.

"This is new for us. Don't expect any advice from us in the manners of princess-ly duties."

"You guys are so much help." She looked back to where they were going and realized that they were at their destination. She reached forward for the door knob and paused, before deeply inhaling and grabbing the door knob.

"Hold on." DG looked at Glitch as he stepped forward. Reaching past DG, he knocked on the door. Hearing her mother call, "Enter." She gave a dry look to Glitch before twisting the knob and stepping inside. Her mother looked up as she entered gasped.

"Ahamo…" The Consort looked up at his wife's gasp and seeing his daughter standing before him, let out a curse.

"Hey mom. Hey dad." DG gave a little wave at the end of her statement. "Just thought I'd let you know that I'm home and that I'm safe. You won't need to get me any bodyguards, I have two. Captain Evan Fisher, Soldier Donovan Pierce, meet my parents: Queen Lavenita Beauvais and Prince Consort Ahamo Beauvais." She gave it a second before continuing. "Ok, since everybody knows everybody, I'll just be…"

"DG?" DG stiffened and froze. She could faintly hear Glitch say furiously to Jeb,

"I thought we had a few more days?"

"Hey Cain." DG let his name trail off into nothingness, before saying to her parents, "I'll just be going now." She glanced over her shoulder before quickly exiting a side door with her bodyguards on her heels before Cain could come out of his stupor. They quickly made their way down the hall and turned a corner before they could hear the sound of boots running against the stones. DG frantically looked around for a door to dive into and seeing one, she twitched her finger to unlock the door. Pulling it open, she slipped in, waiting for her two friends to slip in before closing the door and locking it again with her magic. She was unsure if Cain knew where they were, so she gestured for them to travel to the connecting room. She didn't close this door, merely left it cracked. They didn't turn the lights on, there was enough natural light in the room, and they didn't want to draw Cain's attention.

It wasn't that she was scared of Cain, just that she was anxious about what would be said between them. She knew that her leaving would not mend any hurts that had occurred between the two of them, most likely added to them, but it wasn't like any of those hurts would be resolved by staying. It didn't help that he was being an ass to her, nor that she said as much, and more to his face the day before she left. She had doubts that her words go through to him, and her leaving probably justified, at least in his mind, all the things he said to her.

With all that, she would much rather face him on her own terms then having him sneak up on her. She held out her hands to Evan and Donovan, and once they grasped them, she closed her eyes and transported them to her mother's office. Startled at the trio's unexpected arrival, she spilled the tea that she was sipping. With a sigh, DG waved a hand to clean it up. Ignoring her mother's surprised glance, she looked around the room. Jeb and Glitch were still there, as was Raw, but her father must have left.

"He went to go stop Cain from killing you."

"I doubt that your father was going to kill her."

"You weren't there Evan, he looked murderous." This was going from bad to worse for DG.

"Crap." Donovan walked over to the door and locked it, realizing that maybe the elder Cain needed some time to cool off. Raw did the same with the side door. "You'd think that I would get one break! Just one! But no, I have to deal with him because he's the freakin' General of the Royal Guard!" DG stopped talking and began to look around the room.

"My angel, what are you looking for?" DG looked up from her search and replied,

"A weapon." She paused in her search and reached for her hip, remembering that she had a pistol strapped to it. Donovan lunged forward and took it from her grasp.

"If I'm going to be your bodyguard, I'm going to protect you." He placed the pistol at the small of his back. "Even if that means I'm protecting you from yourself."

"Fine." She started to pace. She spoke to him as she flailed her arms about. "If he comes in guns a-blazin' you get to deal with him."

"If I may offer a suggestion?"

"What do you want Glitch?" He merely let the angry tone of her voice roll over him before he spoke.

"Why don't you meet him here? We can leave this room, tell him that you wish to speak with him, and disarm him before he enters the room. We can post Donovan and Captain Fisher at the two doors, where they can listen for trouble inside the room and watch for trouble from the outside. Jeb, Raw and I can wait with them as well, if that makes you feel any better." DG stopped pacing and looked at Glitch.

"Fine." Glitch nodded. Her mother, ignored throughout the planning process stood and embraced her daughter. DG, surprised at the out of character hug, slowly returned it.

"It is good to have you back, my angle. I look forward to listening to the stories that you have gained." She exited the room through the side exit. As the others started to exit, she placed a hand on Donovan shoulder.

"You can leave when he shows up." He nodded and locked the door behind the others. DG walked around her mother's desk and sat down in the chair. "Just think, one day soon this will all be mine."

"Scary thought." He said this with a crooked smile, which DG responded with one of her own.

"Four annuals ago, I wouldn't have thought that I would be willing taking the throne from my mother." Donovan sat down in a chair across from her.

"Where'd you think you were going to be?"

"Honestly?" Donovan nodded.

"Dead." He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees.

"Really?"

"Really, really. Let's think…" She placed her hands on the desk before her. "I've been with you guys for three annuals and nine cycles. The eclipse was four months before that. My last two months before I joined you guys were spent in training. I heard all about how green soldiers were targeted and that if you made it past your fist three cycles in the Guard, you had a better chance of survival. I thought that I wasn't going to be placed with any special squad, just placed on the front line and told to shoot like the good little soldier I was." She shifted and placed her feet up on the desk. "And then die like the little good soldier I was." She spread her hands wide. "I sought nothing else from life. And then…"

"You got placed with us." DG nodded.

"I got placed with you guys. And suddenly I found myself in a position where I could get honored for the things I did because I was one of eight soldiers in an elite squad. I didn't want that. But I couldn't let you guys die when I could do something about it." She looked up at the ceiling and placed her hands behind her head. "I learned a lot from you all."

"I would hope so." DG tilted her head to look at him.

"You going to see that girl of yours after this?" It was hard to tell with his dark skin, but DG swore that she saw a blush creep up his face.

"You know about that?" DG laughed.

"Of course I do. You're my roommate. I noticed you kept all these weird hours the last time we were here, so I decided to follow you one night."

"Hey!" She shrugged.

"What can I say? You weren't really discrete with your escapades."

"I resemble the remark that they were escapades." He puffed his chest out. "I like to think of them as two star-crossed lovers meeting in secret to keep the forbidden romance secret."

"Whatever you say, Romeo." He deflated a bit.

"I don't understand." She rolled her eyes.

"There's a famous author on the other side called Shakespeare, and he wrote a play about two star-crossed lovers keeping their love a secret so that they could keep seeing each other." He leaned forward, eagerly.

"How did it end?" Seeing his eager face, she decided that the truth probably wasn't the best course of action.

"They lived happily ever after." Donovan gave small smile. Silence fell between the two. DG finally decided that it was time to talk to Cain; she could only play the avoidance game for so long. She removed her feet from the desk and stood, causing Donovan to stand as well.

"Time?"

"It's time."


	20. Chapter 20

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_Life_

_xx_

Donovan nodded and strode over to the front door, unlocking it and poking his head out. He stepped back to allow Cain entry, before closing the door, walking over to the other one, and sliding out. Neither one moved from their positions, with the desk separating the two. He held himself stiffly, and she noticed that his hostler was empty. 'Whoever took his weapon must have shoved it up his ass the way he's carrying himself.' DG thought to herself.

"DG." He had decided to say the first word.

"Cain." She, the second. Past that, she had no idea what she was going to say to him. 'Sorry I ran away but you were being a butthead and then you left, so really my leaving is justified.' This made her pause, and then she decided to say that, without the "sorry" part. "Do you want to know why I left? One of the reasons was you."

"Really?" His tone couldn't be any more condescending if he had tried. Frankly, she was sick of people talking to her like she was some stupid little kid.

"You know what, that's exactly the reason. You are such an asshole that all that comes out of your mouth is shit!" She started to pace behind the desk. "When I first met you, I realized that your life hadn't been rainbows and butterflies, but neither was mine! Nothing gives you the right to condescend to me! Nothing! Not your wife's death or your time spent in the tin suit!" He scoffed. "You think I'm wrong?"

"Yeah! I do think that you're wrong! My whole life fell apart because of you!"

"Because of me?!" By now they were both shouting. "Me?! I never forced you to join the resistance! I didn't tell Zero to lock you in a tin can! There are so many variables between my releasing the witch and you getting locked into the tin suit that if one thing had happened differently…well we might not even have met! Heck, I could be dead and the witch still in power had you not been in that suit! But you won't look beyond your tiny little world to see that you weren't the only person affected by the witch's reign of terror! No...You're too limited to yours and yours alone. You didn't even notice when your son…your own son, for Christ's sake!...got injured on a patrol around the palace." His eyes narrowed to slits.

"Are you done?" DG didn't respond, merely gestured for him to go. " You are such a spoiled brat!"

"Nice vocabulary. Did you learn it from the palace children?" He continued as if uninterrupted.

"For that whole cycle I was here after the eclipse, you wouldn't stop complaining!" His made his voice in a higher octave, mocking the way she spoke. " 'Do I have to do this? I don't understand why this works this way. Can you tell me why? I have to wear these stupid dresses. Can you believe it?' A constant nagging from you! All the time!" DG spoke softly.

"I know what constant means." She shook her head. "You were never there, Cain. Not once did I come to you with a complaint. Not even when you yelled at me for not being perfect with a pistol, after one day of training." She looked away. "Did you even want to help? I think sometimes you would have rather stayed in that tin suit than meet me." Not waiting for a response, she continued. "I'm going to be crowned Queen soon. If you no longer want to be the General of the Royal Guard, I won't force you to do it." She spoke in a tone of defeat. "In fact, I would probably recommend that you no longer work in a General position, at least until you can see me as the woman and the soldier that I am." She opened her mouth to continue talking, but he spoke before her next words were out.

"What do you mean, 'the soldier you are'?" She looked at him in surprise.

"I thought you were aware that I was part of the 2nd Squad." He stared at her. "Apparently not." She turned her back on him. "It is of no relevance now. General Cain, I thank you for you opinions, they will be taken into consideration. I ask you not to let the door hit you on the ass on your way out." Instead of his leaving, like she thought he would, he walked towards the desk, stopping just before it.

"DG?" She didn't look at him as he tried to get her attention.

"What do you want, Cain? I'm tired of you constantly treating me as if I'm five." He placed his hands on the desk before him.

"What do I want?" She gave a tired nod. "I want a real reason." She looked over her shoulder at him, studying him as if he were a work of art from her old life. One look into his eyes told her all that she needed to know.

"You are a sick and cruel man. I should have left you in that prison like Glitch told me to." With that, she made her way to the side door. Cain cut her off and the way there.

"I want a reason, kid." She glared up at him.

"I have no reason to tell you why I left. If you weren't satisfied by my first reason, I doubt any of my others will affect you." She reached for the door, only to be stopped by his hand on her forearm jerking her back. She stumbled, and drew on her magic to shove him away from her. With a loud crash, he fell against the desk. As her guards and friends stormed in, she spoke to Cain. "You're no better than him. I can see it now. To think that I…" She shook her head, waving off Evan and Donovan's probing gazes. She straightened her back and looked down at Wyatt Cain. "I am relieving you of your post as the General of the Royal Guard." As she turned to leave, Cain called out from his spot on the floor.

"Wait!" She paused in the doorway. "Who am I no better than?" She looked over her shoulder to look at Cain, before speaking deliberately. "Adrian Zero." With that, she left the room. As she walked away, she clenched her hands together to stop them from shaking.

"DG wait!" She turned and watched as Jeb jogged to catch up with her. "What should we do with him? He tried to assault you, he should be punished." DG shook her head.

"I took away his rank. That's punishment enough." Jeb raised one eyebrow in askance. "I know, I know." She looked away. "It's…I don't know. I feel as though…" She looked skyward. "I'm sick and tired of these damn feelings." She looked at Jeb, who was sporting an amused glance. "That's right, laugh it up chuckles. Just you wait."

"For what, Your Highness?" She raised her chin.

"Insolence! I will not tolerate it." Jeb bowed.

"Of course, Your Highness." She rolled her eyes and gestured for him to leave. As she was lowering her arms, she noticed a black spot on her arm. Thinking it to be a bruise from when Cain grabbed her, before realizing that bruise took a little longer than a minute to get to that color. Raising her arm to look closer at the mark, she let out a startled gasp when she realized what was on her arm. She took off at a run for the office she just vacated, shouting curses all the way there. Donovan looked at Evan, confusion written all over both their faces as they followed their charge. As they approached the group standing by the office, DG called out,

"Jeb, go get Azkadellia! Mother, get everyone away from this area! That includes any guards. Sorry Raw and Glitch, you guys need to go as well!" She skidding to a stop in front of Glitch and grabbed him by his lapels before he could follow her instructions. "Is he still in there?"

"He who, doll?"

"Cain! Is Cain still in there?" Glitch nodded. "Good." She released his lapels. "What are you still doing here?" Glitch rolled his eyes and wandered down the hall as Jeb came back with Azkadellia.

"What is it, baby sister?" DG didn't respond, merely thrusted her arm out as an explanation. AZ grabbed it and looked at the dark spot on it, her eyes widening as she realized the implications. "Who is under control?"

"Cain." DG looked over her shoulder at the three men standing behind her. "You can't come in with us. You might want to move a safe distance away so that you'll be safe." With that, she looped her arm with her sister's, and they walked inside the room, light emitting from them both. Cain was standing by the window; the sun casting a silhouette of his body on the rest of the room. "We know that you're there." Cain glanced over his shoulder before speaking.

"To think; all the land before me as mine." The voice that came out was not Cain's voice, but a twisted voice; one that sounded like nails screeching along a blackboard and brakes that have been worn down to the rotor mixed together.

"That land is not yours. The land is my mother's; and soon it will be mine." He turned so that he fully faced the sisters.

"Keeping thinking that, dearie." Hearing the word "dearie" come out of Cain's mouth, even if it wasn't in Cain's voice, nearly made DG laugh. But realizing the gravity of the situation, she managed to hold it in.

"You'd think that after your sister was melted by us, you wouldn't possess someone else close to me." Azkadellia was glad that her sister was doing all the talking, it allowed her to slowly build up strength until it was overflowing into DG.

"Yes, but I enjoy feeding on the anguish that my host has every time I said something mean to you and your face crumpled…just like that." DG had come to the realization that no, Cain didn't hate her, and yes, this witch was a bitch. "I'm going to gain immense pleasure from the anguish he has over your death."

"One thing." DG spoke as she felt Az prepare the blast that would separate the witch from Cain and then melt her. "Try to avoid the monologues, they tend to give the hero's time to gather their wits." With her last words, Az let loose, and DG watched as Cain separated from the evil witch and then she melted. As she stared at the ground, she added, "Or their magic; either one works, really." She guided Az to a chair and then kneeled down next to Cain. Feeling his neck for a pulse, she felt him stir instead. Groaning, he tried to sit up on his own, before he slumped over. DG grabbed him around the chest and helped him sit up, leaning him against her. His eyes slowly fluttered open, and he looked frantically around before his gaze settled on DG.

"DG." At first his voice came out as a wheezy moan. He cleared his throat and tried again. "DG, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Shh." She stoked his hair as he clutched at her cloths. "Shh." She didn't bother to look up when the doors swung open, choosing instead to place her head on top of Cain's head. She vaguely heard Az describe what had happened before faces appeared in her vision.

"DG." DG had to work very heard to focus on Jeb, who was kneeling before her.

"Yeah?"

"We need to get father to a bed." She blinked for a few seconds before she was able to process the request, finally nodding and shifting Cain into his son's arms. Donovan kneeled down next Jeb and slipped his head underneath Cain's arm and helped Jeb to hoist Cain up. Evan leaned over to help DG up, and they trailed behind the trio. Realizing that AZ wasn't behind her she jerked, but before she could turn around, Evan was speaking into her ear.

"Glitch came with us. He's talking her to her quarters." She nodded, satisfied with the news. She was tired and she felt like an overcooked noodle. Looking at Cain's back as he was carried into a room, she wondered how this was all going to play out. She couldn't help but remember the cruel words that had come from his mouth, but she also knew that he was under control of the witch. She now realized what the people of the OZ were going through; the reconciliation of what was an actuality with what was on the surface.

She only hoped that she could be as strong as Jeb, and Evan, and Donovan, and all the rest of the resistance fighters that were now in the service of the Crown, protecting the face that they had long associated with terror and hatred.


	21. Chapter 21

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_Life_

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She woke up the next morning, not as refreshed as she would have wanted to be, but able to function as a somewhat capable adult. She glanced across the room at Cain, where he still slept, and decided that she would move around outside a little bit. She swung her legs over the side of her bed, waiting for the dizziness to pass, and then slowly stood up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She sat down in surprise and put her hands to her head when it started to spin. Once she felt somewhat stable, she turned to Cain and spoke.

"God, do you have to surprise me like that?" He gave a soft chuckle and sat up. She raised her eyebrows when he decided to slip his feet over the side of his bed. "What? Are you going to come over here?" He glanced up at her and nodded. "How's that fair? You get to walk around while I sit here like a good little girl?" He winced slightly as he stood and shuffled over to her bed.

"_I'm _not dizzy." He sat down with a sigh. "I am less likely to face plant into the floor. You though…?" He see-sawed his hand. She shoved him slightly and he landed flat against the bed. He laughed softly, with her echoing the laugh, before they both fell silent.

She couldn't find anything to say. She knew that the witch had been in control since the eclipse (how exactly, escaped her mind) and that whatever had been said was all a lie. But a small-she was lying to herself, large- part of her mind was doing the 'What if?' game. She couldn't fault it, it had kept her alive for the past four annuals, and she didn't think that it would keep her alive to kill her now, but the other part of the brain screamed, 'You love him! You know he wouldn't say those things to you! It was the witch! The witch!' Suffice it to say, she was getting anywhere with her internal argument.

He couldn't find anything to say. All that had come out of his mouth for the past four annuals had been things that he did not want to say, let alone think. Ever since he touched that single drop of black liquid, it brought him pain and misery; just when things were starting to look up. He had been the worst to DG; much like the witch in AZ had been the worst to Glitch. He wouldn't be surprised if she decided that he wasn't worth having around, and assign him someplace far away; in all actuality, that's what he would do to himself. He couldn't bear the hurt in her eyes every time she looked at him.

She turned to him, and found that she didn't see the man that had spouted cruel words of hatred, but she saw the man that she knew from before the eclipse. How he still helped her even though he was bent on revenge. How he came back, giving up his chance at taking on Zero. Him, standing before her after she gave her pep talks to Raw and Glitch, telling her about what's really important.

"Hey Cain?" He looked at her, and after a beat she looked at him. "What was really important?" His gaze skittered down her face to stare at his hands.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She reached over and clasped her hands over his.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about. But I'll refresh your memory." The last part she said with a smile and lifted her hand so that it rested against his cheek. "Just before we went into the tower, you told me not to forget what was really important. What's really important to you?" She slid her hand underneath his chin and raised it so that their eyes met.

"That you don't see me as the man from the past four annuals." She shook her head.

"I don't." His eyes stopped darting around the room and rested solely on hers.

"How do you see me?" She smiled.

"I see you riding up on that white horse after I released myself from that green marble tomb. I see you in longcoat garb, with your trusty fedora sitting proudly atop your head, standing next to Glitch, ready to save Raw and I. I see you…as the man sitting before me; vulnerable but strong." His eyes searched hers. "How do you see me?" She shifted closer so that there was only a hair's breath between their thighs.

"I see a strong woman, who knows what she wants and how to get it. I see…" He trailed off, before speaking with a stronger voice. "I see the future Queen; one who cares for all her people. I see a good friend. I see…" He raised both hands so that they framed her face. "I see what's really important to me." She smiled at him.

"That's good, cause that's what I see too." He gave a soft laugh and put his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady heartbeat beneath it, while he rested his cheek on the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her hair. She blinked, trying to fend off sleep, only to have a yawn stretch her face. He chuckled, the sound reverberating through her ear. He shifted so that she rested against his chest and lay down. Blindly reaching down, she grasped at air for a few seconds before grasping the blanket, pulling it up over the pair. She snuggled down into his chest, letting the steady sound of his heartbeat lull her to sleep. He was soon to follow.


	22. Chapter 22

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_Life_

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The gentle patter of rain woke the Cain a few hours later. He looked down at DG with a content smile on his face, and ran his hand gently over her hair. His smile grew larger, as she stirred under his touch. She blinked sleepily up at him.

"Who put sugar in your coffee this morning?" Cain blinked at the foreign phrase.

"If that means what I think it means, than the reason that I'm so happy," She nodded at his correct interpretation of her phrase as he continued. "Is that you're here, and I'm here." He stopped and trailed his hand through her hair once more. "And I get touch you, without the threat of death of imminent peril looming over our heads." She rolled her eyes.

"It wasn't my fault." He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" She nodded resolutely.

"Absolutely. It's all…" She paused as she scrambled for someone to blame. "Glitch's fault." At his amused look, she continued. "Ok. I admit that that was a pretty lame excuse." He patted her back.

"But it came from you, so I think I'll let it slide this time."

"You're too kind." A bark of laughter burst from his mouth; DG curled up even further to him as he calmed down. A comfortable silence fell between the two, allowing the rain's sound to echo through the room. "I love the rain." She whispered this, allowing her voice to blend in with the stillness. She was staring at the window with longing in her eyes. "Back on the farm when I was young, whenever it rained really hard, Popsicle would let me sneak out of the house to play in the rain. Momster would always find out, but she would wait with a large towel, a hot cup of coco, and a soft reprimand before letting the matter rest. One time, she even came out into the rain to play with me." She smiled fondly at the memories. She blinked away moisture from her eyes, before giving a watery chuckle. "I love the rain."

Cain had watched her recall old memories and realized that they woman that he held in his arms was the woman he loved. He gave her a hug and whispered softly into her ear,

"I love you." She looked up at him in surprise. As she scanned his face, he spoke. "I thought I would give you another reason to love the rain." She gave a startled laugh, letting her head rest on his chest just above his heart.

"I love you, too." His wrapped a little tighter around her, before turning his head to watch the rain with her.


	23. Chapter 23

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_Life_

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As the days passed, Princess Dorothy Gale Beauvais, also known as DG, Aleski Hildebrandt, and Alex, and General Wyatt Cain grew closer together. DG ascended to the throne, becoming a beloved Queen who looked after all her people, with Wyatt Cain at her side as Prince Consort. He was also loved by the people.

They married with only their closest friends and family in attendance. The Prince Consort's son was his best man, and the Princess was the Queen's maid of honor. They stood underneath the gazebo at the Finaqua Palace, with an addition so that the guests would not get drenched by the rain.

"Gotta keep giving you reasons to love the rain, Princess."

"That's _Queen_ to you now."

Nine cycles later, two little girls were born to the Queen and her Prince Consort. They named them Riley Adora Cain and Amelia Gale Cain; Dg named Riley and Wyatt named Amelia.

Former Queen Lavenita Beauvais and former Prince Consort Ahamo Beauvais lived at the Finaqua Palace, content to live out the rest of their days in the peace and quite with each other.

A surprising romance blossomed between Glitch, advisor to Queen Dorothy, formerly known as Ambrose, advisor to Queen Lavenita, and Princess Azkadellia. It was rumored the Queen had gone speechless when informed of the news, before waving her hand and saying that she saw it coming. They had married in the summer, and after a few cycles, announced that they would be expecting a new arrival to the family.

_xx_

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"How do you expect me to believe that this is all real, dad?"

"Dorothy…" The father trailed off as his daughter opened her mouth to speak.

"Seriously dad. Do you take me for a fool?" He sincerely hoped that his teenager outgrew this teenager phase.

"No, I don't take you for a fool." His weary tone spoke of similar conversations along the same vein. "You know I think you're the smartest girl in the world." Hearing shouted protest from the bathroom he called out to his wife. "I said girl, honey! You're the smartest woman in the world." He looked at his daughter. "Really."

"Whatever, dad." He watched as his daughter got up and walked out of the room as his wife walked in. She held up a necklace. He stood and grabbed it from her, waiting for her to turn around.

"She'll never believe it until she sees it herself." He clasped the necklace and sighed.

"I know." He placed a kiss at the junction where her neck met her shoulders.

"You'll have to take her back sometime." He rolled his eyes at his wife.

"You don't think that I don't know that?" He walked over to the couch and picked up his scarf. "I was planning to take her with me on the next _business_ trip." She nodded her head and reached for her own scarf.

"I was thinking that I could tag along to." He glanced up at her, question in his eyes. "It's been awhile that I've seen my sister and my little brother. God, my parents at that. It'd be nice to reconnect." He nodded. He grabbed his hat and hers from the hat rack. "Dorothy! It's time to go!" Hearing a muffled reply from his daughter, he turned to his wife and tugged her hat onto her head. She gave a laugh and swatted at his arms, giving up when he wrapped them around her waist and pulled her close. He bumped her node with his, eliciting a smile out of her.

"I love you, Amelia Gale Cain Pierce."

"I love you, too, Jonathon Evan Pierce."

"Wait!" They pulled slightly apart as their daughter walked into the room with a confused look on her face.

"Yes?" Jonathon watched as Dorothy put the puzzle together.

"You called mom Amelia." He nodded.

"I did."

"But you always called her Gale." He grimaced.

"It's something that runs in both out families. We're too fond with the last names." Dorothy looked like a fish for a few moments, trying to piece everything together.

"That means that the story that you've told me, goodness I've lost count how many times, is some of my family history?" He nodded once more. "That…that…means I'm royalty?"

"That's right, honey." Amelia rested a hand on her daughter's shoulder and guided her out into the cold. Jonathon stepped out behind them and locked the door.

"Wait till the girls at school hear about this!"

Jonathon looked at his wife with exasperation in his eyes, before sliding into the driver's seat and pulling the car out of the garage.


	24. Chapter 24

_Donovan Interlude 6_

Here I am 25 annuals since meeting a woman named Alex, and I am quite comfortable with my life. I have a beautiful wife, not Alex, and three wonderful children: one fully grown, and two on the verge of adulthood.

Deciding to become DG's bodyguard brought my happiness, apart from those few terrifying minutes when my charge decided to face off an evil witch without me there beside her. I mean seriously, I'd only been on the job for a few hours and she'd already gotten herself into a situation where death and imminent peril were consequences and/or results of said situation.

But I've digressed from my recollection, my dear readers. I settled down with a nice girl that I had met in the palace those three cycles spent "relaxing" from the daily grind of war. I had a hard time wooing her, but she was worth it. My Lily and I had three children, I know I just told you about them. My oldest, a son, is named Jonathan. He was born around the same time DG's two girls came into the world. My other two children, twins Jaden and Jesslyn, have yet to decide what to do with their lives.

Captain Evan Fisher married as well, and has a child to his name running around, making arrests with the Central City Tin Men.

The last thing that I heard about the Fish Squad, yes they still keep the name, still has Tal in charge, and Embry, Malcolm, and Yared, as well as some fresh blood. They're doing well, making sure that the realm is safe from attack.

Sindu Goddard is in some prison somewhere, although DG is considering releasing him; she's yet to breach that with her husband.

I expect fireworks.


	25. Chapter 25

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_Life_

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"So our baby girl is going to visit." DG looked up at her husband and nodded.

"And she's finally bringing her girl to visit." She grabbed Cain's hand where it rested on her shoulder. "It's been so long since they last visited." He nodded and squeezed her hand, before helping her stand.

"I heard that it's going to rain today." She looked up at him and smiled.

"You know just what to say to make my day." He smiled back and her and replied,

"I would hope so. I've had the past 20 annuals or so to collect data on what makes you happy." She stepped closer to him, and he draped his arm over her shoulder in order to pull her up against him. She sighed in contentment.

"I love you." He stopped them in the middle of the hall and kissed her.

"I love you too." Hand in hand, they walked down the hall and turned the corner.

Like players on the stage of life; they are just out of sight, but never out of mind.

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	26. Cast Of Characters

Cast of Characters

(as listed in the story, doesn't mean that there wasn't more)

_On the Squad_

Captain Evan Fisher

Seth Tal- 2nd in Command to Captain Fisher

Aleksi Hildebrandt- Princess Dorothy Gale "DG" Beauvais

Donovan Pierce

Sindu Goddard

Nathaniel Embry

Gabriel Malcolm

Peter Yared

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_In the Guard_

General Wyatt Cain- Head of Guard

The Commander

Lieutenant Derek Scott- Ex Training Instructor

Dermot

Avon

Moeller

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_In the Palace_

Queen Lavenita Beauvais

Prince Consort Ahamo Beauvais

Princess Azkadellia "Az" Beauvais

Queen (Princess) Dorothy Gale "DG" Beauvais - Aleksi Hildebrandt

Donovan Pierce – Bodyguard to Queen DG

Lily Pierce- Worker at the Palace

Captain Evan Fisher- Bodyguard to Queen DG

Commander Jebediah Cain- Head of Palace Security

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_The Next Generation_

Princess Riley Adora Cain

Princess Amelia Gale Cain Pierce

Jonathon Evan Pierce

Prince Nathaniel E Cain

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_That Generation's Kids_

Dorothy Pierce

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A timeline that should correlate with the story

At start of story- 4 cycles after the eclipse (includes 2 cycles of training)

Start of Ch 4- 1 cycle since DG left training

Start of Ch 5- 2 cycles since leaving training

Start of Ch 6- 10 cycles since leaving training

Middle of Ch 6- 2 annuals and 4 cycles since leaving training

Start of Ch 9- 2 annuals and 5 cycles since leaving training

Start of Ch 10- 2 annuals and almost 6 cycles leaving training

Start of Ch 14- 2 annuals and 7 cycles since leaving training

Start of Ch 15- 2 annuals and 9 cycles since leaving training

Start of Ch 16- 3 annuals and 9 cycles since leaving training

Start of Ch 17- 4 annuals and 9 cycles since leaving training

A paragraph into Ch 17- 4 annuals and 10 cycles since leaving training

Start of Ch 23- 25 annuals since leaving training

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Bear in mind that this is a rough timeline from the story, so if it doesn't make sense, feel free to tell me.


End file.
